The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium.times.hortorum, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name `BFP-1700`.
The new Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new cultivars with excellent basal branching, medium growth habit, numerous flowers and umbels, and interesting flower and foliage colors.
The new Geranium originated from a cross made by the Inventor of the Pelargonium.times.hortorum cultivar `Ice Crystal` (not patented) as the male, or pollen parent, with the proprietary Pelargonium.times.hortorum selection 1203 as the female, or seed parent. The cultivar `BFP-1700` was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Arroyo Grande, Calif., on Sep. 15, 1996. Compared to plants of the cultivar `Ice Crystal`, plants of the new cultivar have stronger peduncles. In addition, petal bases of plants of the new cultivar are white whereas petal bases of plants of the cultivar `Ice Crystal` are lavender in color.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Arroyo Grande, Calif., has shown that the unique features of this new Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.